A complete collection of reversible knitwear, focusing on a sharp aesthetic and functional ideas.
My name is Emily Keller. I'm a fashion designer specializing in knitwear (think sweaters). In my free time I make YouTube videos, hand knit, machine knit, workout, play piano/guitar, sing (badly), dance, and dream, all while living in Manhattan.
Factory
Our factory is located in Shanghai, China and was founded in November of 2011 by Sam Ho, a Chinese native. After working as a programmer for Shima Seiki and Stoll computerized flat knitting machines, and working throughout many different countries, Sam Ho returned to China to open his own knitwear factory.
Today, his factory employs 45 people and has 12 knitting machines. Employees work 8 hours a day, 6 days a week and they are paid competitive wages including all benefits required by law. The factory produces 5,000 pieces per week.
Fibers
When considering sustainability, our responsibility goes beyond the garment to include the production of the raw materials. This is the list of fibers found in our 'Reptile' and 'Cocoon' collections.
1. 100% Cotton
2. 50% Merino Wool 50% Cotton
3. 68% Cotton 32% Nylon
4. 100% Nylon
5. 81% Nylon 19% Lycra Spandex
Business Model
We operate as a direct-to-consumer e-commerce platform, eliminating retail, middle men, and brick-and-mortar expenses. These savings are passed on to you in the form of well designed and constructed garments at a competitive price.
In order to create financial leverage in a slow fashion market, our business model also incorporates mending and washing services. Please contact us to obtain more information.
Pricing
By keeping our pricing transparent, we hope to educate our consumers and give a realistic perspective on the true cost of clothing. By doing so, we can develop a trusting relationship with the people interested in our products and reveal some of the misleading perceptions developed by an unhealthy fashion industry.
For example, here is the price breakdown of our Reptile Reversible Dress.
Material: $8
Labor: $23
Duties/Transport: $10
Etsy Fee ¹: $3.18
Our Earnings ²: $41
Our Sale Price ³: $85.18
Traditional Retail ⁴: $170.36
Pricing
1. We use Etsy as an example of our e-commerce host fee. This could be other websites, like Amazon, Ebay, etc. The sale price of our product will change, as different e-commerce websites have varying fees.
2. Our earnings fund all aspects of our business including product development, videos, photoshoots, marketing, website upkeep, website/email subscription, and office supplies.
3. Our everyday sale price is equivalent to 50% off of a tradition retail price. You won't see discounts on our products, as we're already giving you our honest price.
4. This is the minimum traditional retail price our Reptile Reversible Dress would sell for in a department store or boutique using the traditional pricing model. Markup can sometimes go up to 8X original factory price/fees. Using our dress as an example, that would be $340.72. For a while now, there has been a vicious cycle of raising prices, and bigger discounts with traditional retailers. Discounts get bigger to attract the attention of consumers, and prices are raised so profit margins aren't compromised.
Cofounders
Emily Keller
I'm the designer and cofounder for Emily Keller reversible apparel. I personally design the structure of all fabrics used in the collection, and through trial-and-error develop them for optimal reversibility.
I also run our:
-Social Media (when you comment or like our posts, myself and Manuel are personally seeing and replying to you)
-Store on Etsy (when you order, I am preparing your order)
-Website Blog (I write all of our blog posts)
-Email (when you email me, you're emailing ME)
-Finances/bookkeeping
-Business Development
I grew up in a small town in central Pennsylvania surrounded by dairy farms. Our backyard was connected to a corn field. I was too young to understand how valuable space and land were. But now, living in a 1 bedroom apartment in New York City, I appreciate the openness we had as kids. When I was 14 I moved to Salt Lake City, Utah (if you haven't visited, you really should). A gorgeous open layout city surrounded by mountains on both sides. This is where I knew fashion was my career path. I had the opportunity to take a fashion design course in high school and never looked back.
I attended The Fashion Institute of Technology in New York City, with the exception of my junior year, studying abroad at the Politecnico di Milano in Milan, Italy. Having Italian heritage, it was always a curiosity of mine to learn more about my roots. Italy was where I first learned about knitwear from some seriously experienced professors. Through traveling and school, my time there satisfied my curiosity and Italy now has a special place in my heart.
After graduating from FIT with a specialization in knitwear, I worked in NYC for 2 years as an assistant colorist and knitwear designer. Feeling antsy after being in NYC for 3 consecutive years (after moving back from Milan), I moved to Shanghai, China with a job offer as a knitwear designer. It was a scary decision, but I knew I needed to get out of my comfort zone again. Living in Shanghai brought more learning and experiences than I ever could have imagined. The language, the culture, food, and friends offered memories that will last a lifetime. It's also the place where I felt ready to start my own business. With all the yarn mills and factories at my fingertips, I knew I would regret not exploring the world of manufacturing in China. After 3 1/2 years, it was time to move back home to NYC. Living in diverse locations has made me appreciate all the wonderful things NYC has to offer. It is truly a unique city.
Please join me on my journey navigating the complicated and sometimes immoral world of fashion. Let's put our heads together and try to make the fashion industry a better place.
Cofounders
Manuel Garcia
I'm the cofounder, photographer, and videographer for Emily Keller reversible apparel. I also work on business development, marketing, and sales.
I also run our:
-Social Media (when you comment or like our posts, myself and Emily are personally seeing and replying to you)
-Photography & Editing (we create everything from scratch with no outside help)
-Videography & Editing (we create everything from scratch with no outside help)
-Sales/Marketing
-Public Relations
-Business Development
I grew up in a small town in the Dominican Republic. When I was 14 I moved to the United States. With no understanding of English, I was put into an ESL (English as a Second Language) program at the High School of Fashion Industries in New York City. This is where I found my passion for fine art and design. I slowly learned enough English to apply to college.
I attended Parsons School of Design, majoring in Architecture. I was ready to test my design skills on a larger scale.
After working in architecture in New York City for four years, I got a design opportunity in Shanghai, China. Expecting to stay only one or two years, I quickly packed up and left. With the blink of an eye, one year turned into five. It was an amazing experience professionally and personally.
After five years, I wasn't ready to leave, but wanted to be closer to my family again. So I moved back to New York City, where I currently reside, working in architecture and fashion.
The Suitcase: A Traveling Closet
Suitcase dilemmas are universal: take the smallest bag possible, and keep it as light as possible.
This puzzle isn’t like a math problem that has 1 correct answer. Packing is more like writing an essay. There’s more than 1 right answer, and every time you re-edit you find something to improve on, whether it’s swapping out a pair of heavy shoes for lighter ones, or taking out that extra jacket because you really only need 1, or replacing that flimsy T-shirt with a reversible T-shirt, for extra options.
Packing can be an enjoyable, creative process that involves problem-solving, logic, and inventiveness. And like everything, practice makes perfect; or at the least, significant improvement.
Maybe you’ve mastered traveling light. If so, I commend you on your great accomplishment. But the beauty of this skill is that it can be honed for a lifetime, like dancing or learning a second language. There’s always room for improvement.
If you haven’t explored the world of reversible apparel, I encourage you to do so. It will take your packing skills and travel experience to a whole new level. And if you don't believe me, check out Jessica's posts over at The Belle Voyage. She's a seasoned traveller that uses reversible apparel as her secret weapon to packing light.
Part 1: http://www.thebellevoyage.com/2015/01/reversible-clothing-for-travel/
Part 2: http://www.thebellevoyage.com/2015/04/reversible-clothing-part-two-dresses/
Tell us about your experience incorporating reversible apparel into your nomadic lifestyle. Share in the comments below!
For a typical 5-day business trip in moderate weather, I pack the following. Switching out 7 pieces for 4 reversible pieces gave me more options while reducing my luggage weight by 29 oz. That’s just under 2 pounds of reduced weight! My back will thank me!
The Suitcase: A T
-
2 pairs of jeans = 26 oz
-
1 pair of leggings = 6 oz
-
2 dresses = 31 oz
-
2 skirts = 14.2 oz
-
3 blouses = 15.1 oz
-
2 T-shirts = 7 oz
-
1 jacket = 17.2 oz
-
1 blazer = 17.6 oz
TOTAL:
14 PCS =
134.1 oz =
8.38 lbs
Exchanging some pieces for reversible:
-
2 pairs of jeans = 26 oz
-
1 pair of leggings = 6 oz
-
1 Reversible dress = 7.8 oz
-
1 Reversible skirt = 8 oz
-
3 blouses = 15.1 oz
-
1 Reversible T-shirt = 5.5 oz
-
1 Reversible jacket = 18.8 oz
-
1 blazer = 17.6 oz
TOTAL:
10 PCS =
104.8 oz =
6.54 lbs
Shanghai Fashion Week - KOKUYO Fashion Show Concept Video
EK| 2RED Production
Music:
Black Mass (feature: BCBird) by Bass Tandem
Camerawork: Joe/ Vincent/ Karl / Didjelirium
This video was done during the design and development of EK- Reversible.
Emily Keller talks about the inspiration for the collection and core concepts behind her fashion brand.